​My job shadowing experience was completed at Gateway FS-Waltonville Elevator. During my time at the elevator I learned how to grade grain that was brought in by customers and grain that was shipped out by our truckers. I also helped with weighing inbound and outbound trucks as well as printing their tickets. I helped with payments that were received, prepared invoices, as well as ran daily reports. During wheat harvest I helped dump trucks as well as various other outside tasks such as keeping the grain swept up and the facilities safe. My favorite part was interacting with the customers and creating relationships with them that will help me in the future. I also enjoyed taking the crane to the top of the grain leg and replacing the American Flag. 

Hello! I’m Adam Loker, a current junior at SIUC studying Agribusiness Economics
and Agricultural Communications. I am very grateful to be a recipient of the 2024 GFAI
Industry Immersion Scholarship, and in the past few months I have gotten to experience
a few very meaningful experiences because of it.
Growing up on a farm outside of a small town in southern Illinois, Wayne City
(about 15 miles east of Mt. Vernon), I have always been around agriculture. My whole
life has been spent around farming and agriculture. It hasn’t been until recent years,
however, that I’ve begun to grasp the true depth of the agriculture industry. Learning
about grain markets, trading, and the vast amount of knowledge there is to learn in the
grain industry has really opened my mind to the different possibilities in the grain
industry, and I am particularly happy to have gotten the opportunity to get a hands on
look at grain merchandising because of this scholarship.
On October 1st, 2024, I was able to go to the office of CGB at Mt. Vernon, IN and
speak with multiple people, where I learned about “the basics” and much more of the
grain merchandising world. Some of the most important lessons I learned revolved
around trade and futures markets, which are not-too-easy to digest topics when you are
just learning.
During my job shadow at CGB, I sat down with Paul Ernst, one of the originators.
Some key takeaways from our conversation and the day consist of the following:
● Understanding basis as the “barometer of demand at a given point.” In
commercial grain trade, it’s all about basis. It basically says, “This is how much I
‘want’ your grain.”
● Different types of grain facilities. There will be a different basis and differences in
operation depending where your facility is and what goes on there. For instance,
a river terminal functions differently than a rail terminal, and a soybean
processing facility has other important functions that separate it from the other
two.
● Freight spread: the cost of getting your product from point A to point B.
● The concept of carry, and how grain intrinsically gains value over time (which is
why farmers also store grain!).
● Price discovery: the price that “what you are willing to pay for” meets “what
someone is willing to sell at”.
During the conversation, we also talked about some of the most relevant topics in
agriculture. I asked Paul what he thought were some of the biggest risks to American
Agriculture. He responded with three different points: 1. Weather, 2. Competition
(particularly from South America), 3. Demand (it's important to not rely on mandates, the
free market is always best) ​Overall, I highly enjoyed the chance I had to visit with CGB. I am very grateful for
receiving the GFAI Scholarship, and look forward to my future in the grain industry!

​Hi! My name is Kaylee Blackford, and I am currently a sophomore at Lake Land College in
Mattoon, Illinois. There, I am studying in the Ag Transfer program as I pursue my Bachelors in
Animal Sciences. My goal is to work in animal nutrition at a feed mill, formulating rations for
farmers and serving as the middleman between the growers and the livestock producers. Today,
I was given the opportunity to shadow at Cissna Park Co-op under both Dan Martinek, the
General Manager, and Rowdy Murray, the Feed Mill Manager.
Cissna Park Co-op is both a grain elevator and a custom feed mill. Farmers can bring their grain
to sell at market prices or choose to hedge and store, like at many other facilities. This area is
Dan’s specialty, working with the farmers to help them make their contracts. As Cissna Park is a
co-op, each farmer has stock within the operation, which is overseen by a board of directors.
Besides the elevator, Cissna Park Co-op is also home to a custom feed mill. Built in the 1950s,
their daily goal is to produce twenty-five tons according to Rowdy. The process is still much the
same as it was back in the day. Operators weigh grains and supplements from bulk bins or bags
to add to the four-ton vertical mixer. Rowdy explained that as a local feed mill, they
accommodate the small farmers in the area, mixing feed for many species in a day from
pheasants and chickens to cattle and horses. A key piece to understand with this is the order to
mix rations, that “the previous batch must improve the next” as there is a small bit of
contamination between batches. Though it would be simpler to mix feed for specific species on
set days, they continue to mix a variety of rations each day to meet the demand of the locals,
some of whom have been getting their feed at Cissna Park Co-op for decades.
At the heart of their operations, Cissna Park Co-op is in the best interest of the people in their
community, as they proudly support their local FFA chapters and work hard to meet the needs of
those around them. The connections I made today are invaluable, and I hope to continue to
meet more great people through this scholarship opportunity.

If you missed my first reflection, my name is Emily Brooks and I am originally from Prophetstown, IL. I will graduate from the University of Illinois this May with a B.S. in Agricultural and Consumer Economics. I am deeply grateful for the unique learning opportunities that scholarships like the Grain and Feed Industry Immersion Scholarship provide, allowing me to gain practical experience in the fi eld. I recently completed my Spring job shadowing experience at Rock River Lumber and Grain. On the first day, I observed the merchandisers in action. They handled calls from farmers and shared valuable insights on market trends. This experience deepened my understanding of how real-time market conditions and farmer needs intersect and reinforced the importance of staying informed and responsive in this industry. The second day was a much slower pace due to rainy weather. Despite the quieter atmosphere, I found there was still much to observe. During these moments, I saw firsthand how downtime is utilized to strategize and prepare for busier periods. This highlighted the importance of adaptability and foresight in the grain and feed business. Throughout both days, the significance of collaboration and relationship-building was unmistakable. Whether working closely with farmers to understand their needs or coordinating with colleagues to ensure smooth operations, the value of relationships in this industry is abundantly clear. It's not just about transactions; it's about nurturing trust and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships over time. Overall, this experience has deepened my understanding of the grain and feed industry and solidified my passion for agriculture. I've gained invaluable insights into market dynamics, logistical challenges, and the importance of interpersonal connections. Thank you for the journey! 

​I write to you all again from the Deland Farmers Cooperative in Deland, IL. After completing my second job-shadowing experience with Leland the manager, I am continuing to learn more about the importance and challenges of managing an elevator. Similar to the last time I met with Leland we spent much of the day visiting with farmers over the phone and providing much the same advice and continuing to build many of the same personal relationships that Leland stressed upon building during my last visit. I continued to observe as he guided customers in key marketing decisions and helped them make the best decisions for their operations. We discussed many of the preparations that must be made for new crops to be brought into the elevator such as maintenance to the conveyors, legs, and pits as well as cleaning the bins to limit contamination or damage from crops stored through the summer months or leftovers that weren’t originally hauled out. Leland talked about many of the challenges and factors that he must deal with when considering how and when to sell or market grain. Sharing that one of the most important decisions he must make is to understand how local markets will react to something that may be occurring across the globe. Often you may expect a big rally or shift on a localized basis that will not materialize or simply no reaction will happen at all and that creates a challenge for the elevator to be able to capture profits. He challenged me to think outside of the typical pricing measures and ways of gaining a profit that I am used to using from my family's farm and understand more in-depth how an elevator captures profit utilizing many of the hedging procedures we had previously discussed. He also cited that often basis can be much more predictable than commodity prices and he as the elevator manager must find ways to use the predictability to his advantage and create profit for the elevator. Overall, I greatly enjoyed my time learning from Leland and as a part of the Grain and Feed Scholarship program. As I continue to pursue a career in the grain industry I hope that the connections I have built through this scholarship program will continue to be invaluable. 

​My name is Jaton Shaffer, and I am currently a Junior at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. I am studying Agriculture and Consumer Economics with a focus in Markets and Management. Within my studies at the University, I have been focusing mainly on the commodity futures markets and learning the forces and factors that drive these markets. I may not fully know what my future career will look like. I have taken a serious interest in the grain industry. For my job shadow as a part of the GFAI scholarship program I was paired with Leland Dean at the Deland Farmers Cooperative in Deland, IL. My time spent with Leland this fall was very insightful. During my time I learned more about how elevators protect themselves from losses on the grain they purchase from farmers by hedging using the futures markets. How elevators manage to make money using basis and making timely sales the end user markets that are available to them. As well as how important record keeping is in managing the overall state of the elevator. It wasn’t just the management side of the business that Leland taught me about. Leland shared a lot of the important parts of keeping in touch with your customers, providing advice and wisdom where you feel comfortable, and just how important personal relationships are within the business. Many people stopped by or called the elevator during the day and Leland was always there to visit with them and help them make the best decisions for themselves. I cannot wait to return to Deland this spring and learn more about managing an elevator

I am a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pursuing dual degrees in Agricultural and Consumer Economics (emphasis in Policy, International Trade, and Development) and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. This semester, I am enrolled in ACE 222 Agricultural Marketing with Professor Paul Stoddard. The course and Grain and Feed Association industry tour have sparked my interest in a career in international grain marketing, allowing me to apply my interests in agriculture and Eastern European studies. 
 
I recently had the privilege of spending two days with Topflight Grain Cooperative Inc. in Monticello. Grain Originator and Crop Insurance Agent Kelley Lawhorn and CEO Derrick Bruhn provided invaluable insights into Topflight's efficient grain operations. With fifteen facilities and 3.159 million bushels of storage capacity at their Monticello location alone, I was impressed by the scale and efficiency of their grain movement and marketing programs for commodities, including corn, soybeans, wheat, and non-GMO beans. I am grateful to Mr. Lawhorn and Mr. Bruhn for taking the time to educate me on the workings of a thriving agricultural cooperative—experiences like this further my goal of one day working in international grain marketing and trade.
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